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2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 APRIL 2026 THEATRE Jo Caruana on bringing five-star comedy String V SPITTA to Malta Maltese entrepreneur, actress and theatre producer Jo Caruana shares how a late-night Edinburgh Fringe discovery led to the upcoming Malta debut of Soho Theatre hit, String V SPITTA JO Caruana has visited the Ed- inburgh Fringe every year since she was 18. A self-confessed show addict – she has seen Ti- tanique on the West End 37 times – she watches around 40 shows in five days each August, hunting among the 3,500-odd productions for an undiscovered gem to transfer to Malta. Last summer, she found it. "I saw String V SPITTA at a late-night slot, with zero expec- tations," she recalls. "But from the second it started, I loved it." So much so, she went back three times. When her sister-in-law – not usually one for repeat view- ings – also insisted on return- ing, Jo's instinct was confirmed. "That she wanted to watch it again made me realise quite how brilliant it is." Jo tracked down one of the show's co-writers and perform- ers to pitch the idea. "It was an instant fit – something they wanted to do and, of course, so did we," she says. Realising that vision, Finesse Events will present the Edinburgh and So- ho Theatre hit at Theatre Next Door for one weekend only on 9 and 10 May. The premise of String V SPIT- TA is gloriously silly. Two ri- val children's entertainers – classically trained musical virtuoso Sylvester 'Silly' String and grime-obsessed East Lon- don maverick MC SPITTA – are forced to share the stage at a Russian oligarch's daughter's sixth birthday party. What fol- lows is 60 minutes of singalongs, party games, magic tricks and freestyle rap battles. "It's all the fun of a children's birthday par- ty, but definitely for adults," Jo explains. Directed by George Chilcott, String V SPITTA is the brain- child of Kiell Smith-Bynoe, known to millions as Mike in BBC's Ghosts and television panel shows such as Taskmaster, and Ed MacArthur, a multi-in- strumentalist comedian whose credits include Ted Lasso. The show has sold out multiple runs at London's Soho Theatre and at the Edinburgh Fringe, racking up five-star reviews along the way. "Kiell and Ed are absolutely hys- terical," says Jo. "The show is full of the kind of wit, sarcasm and silliness that British theatre does so well." Now based in the UK, Jo is no stranger to the Maltese stage herself. A founding member of the sell-out Comedy Knights troupe, she has performed in productions ranging from Nois- es Off to Legally Blonde, and is a founding producer of The Shrinking Violets, the all-female theatre collective behind ac- claimed shows such as In Other Words and Miscast – An Atyp- ical Cabaret. Offstage, she soon celebrates 20 years in business, as the founder and CEO of glob- al PR, content and training com- pany Finesse Group and Malta's only StoryBrand Certified Guide. "I'm getting into theatre produc- tion more and more," she says. "The chance to bring together my love of theatre with the op- portunities I see in business is incredibly exciting." The Malta debut of String V SPITTA has been a team effort. "One of my best friends, Pia Zam- mit, is coordinating the produc- tion on the ground (and current- ly hunting for props including a bubble gun and a sock puppet)," Jo says. "My team at Finesse, all my friends – everybody's been so supportive. And huge thanks to Kiell, Ed and George, of course, for taking a leap of faith." And while she is candid about the risks involved, Jo is excited to add something different to the thriving local performance offering. "The quality that comes out of Maltese theatre is on par with anything I've seen in Lon- don or New York. It's one of the most dynamic theatre scenes in the world, which, considering its size, is incredible. I am very proud to have made my start at Stagecoach and the MADC, like so many other local theatre kids," she says. But above all, Jo hopes to offer Malta's audiences another une- qualled benefit of theatre – com- munity. "Live theatre is so im- portant in today's disconnected and algorithm-fuelled world. It gives people a rare, shared ex- perience of joy – which String V SPITTA, with all its silliness and fun, absolutely delivers. I'm very much in my joy era, and hope au- diences will join me." String V SPITTA performs at Theatre Next Door, Triq il-Kappella ta' Santa Mari- ja, Maghŧab, at 7.30pm and 9.30pm on Saturday 9 May and at 7.30pm on Sunday 10 May 2026. Due to strong language, this production is suitable for audiences aged 16 and over. Limited tickets still available at www.fmt.com.mt/tnd.